MONOGRAPH OF THE FALCONIDA3, 
an enormous muscular power in swimming with ease, and the swift- 
ness of lightning, even against the torrent. In all, the belly and 
tail are pre-eminently developed. Almost all are highly rapacious 
and voracious, and the larger devour the smaller ones, without even 
sparing their own species. In them the principle of a rapacious and 
voracious animal is first and dreadfully expressed. They all show 
the nostrils unpierced, which characteristic Cuvier already, and 
Okcn have deemed highly remarkable. 
Their fins, extremities analogous to those of the higher animals, 
appertain to the skeleton of the membranes, and divide into manifold 
rnembered rays, which are covered with membranes. All are con- 
fined to their element, the w r ater, which some few species only can 
leave for but a very short time without the loss of life. They are 
consequently true water animals. 
The Pisces are the tongue , stomach , helly , or tail animals. 
If with the aid of these characteristics, we search in the class of 
birds for a suborder that corresponds to the Pisces , we find but one 
in which the characteristics of fish are as obviously expressed as in 
a bird they possibly can be ; it is the suborder Totipalmati. They 
show great power of the muscles. In all of them the toes, even 
with the hind toe turned forward, are connected by a membrane for 
swimming ; so that the foot of the pelican, among all birds, bears 
most resemblance to a fin. They show the nostrils like a mere point 
unfit for respiration (Sula), or they want them altogether (Plotus). — 
All live near or on the water, feed only on fish, and are most vora- 
cious and rapacious. They are all true water-birds, that would 
starve on terra firma . 
The Totipalmati are consequently the birds most analagous to 
the Pisces, and hence they represent in the fourth order of Ichthyor- 
nithes , the fourth suborder as fish-birds of the second degree. Let 
us now collect from the Pelicanidce those characteristics, in order 
to assign to the other families and suborders, the corresponding, 
that is, the fourth rank in their respective orders. 
The pelicans have a long bill on the upper part, somewhat curved 
outward, opening wide, even beyond the small eyes, and curved dow r n 
on the tip w ith an inserted hook. 
The wing and tail-feathers are strong and elastic like whalebone ; 
the toes are turned forward, the exterior one is very long, and the 
interior ^edge of the claw of the middle toe is pectinated like a comb. 
